Birth of the Adventure Film

Raiders of the Lost Ark holds as one of the most iconic
films of the last 35 years.

It takes a great movie to become so ingrained within our society that it replaces our previously held notions, but Indiana Jones and the Raider of the Lost Ark does this in an enthousiastic and entertaining fashion. Starring Harrison Ford as the title character Indiana Jones a professor and archeologist, director Steven Spielberg sheds the previously held idea that archeology is a humdrum activity. While this is done with much tongue in cheek, after all it would be ridiculous to believe that a lone man must face an army of Nazis all for the sake of ancient relics which happen to possess supernatural power, the message still holds some truth, even things we traditionally see as boring may not be as dull as they seem.

The Nazis depicted embody that of classic villain

            In itself Indiana Jones and the Raider of the Lost Ark is the story of Professor Jones an archeologist who is sent by the U.S. government to investigate a mysterious artifact known as the Ark of the Covenant. Afraid that Nazis will harness this power for evil Indy must stop them and return the artifact to the proper authorities.

Jones (Ford) holds his love interest Marion (Karen Allen)

            As an action adventure movie Raiders of the Lost Ark does little to develop story but as this comes naturally with the genre this is acceptable. Instead the film goes for a more convential  tale albeit with newly formed smart action hero using classic villains and other traditionally used elements.  But for the most part the film appeals as a light hearted action flick and at this it succeeds quite well.

            Mechanically the film does good, boasting finely choreographed action sequences, points of witty dialogue and a fantastic musical score. Yet as the film is over thirty some of the special effects seem dated but the all in all the movie holds up. Moreover, this film serves as proof of Harrison Fords star power before a long list of poor decisions.

            As one of the most iconic films of the last 35 years, Raiders of the Lost Ark become a modern classic and a notable benchmark for films of this type, even redefining the genre.

Not Just Another Coming of Age Story

Will Wheaton (left) Jerry O' Connell (front)
River Phoenix (back) Corey Feldman (right) 

            The coming of age story is a common if not clichéd affair. They have been done so frequently and to such similar effect that stories begin to overlap and differences appear only through superficial subtleties. That being said Rob Reiner’s movie “Stand by Me”, based off of Stephen King’s novella “The Body”, unshackles itself from the traditional coming of age story by diversifying themes. Instead of focusing on the journey of boys proving their manhood through sexual conquest, this movie goes in a different direction instead showing the growth of the boys through a new found sense of mortality.

At times the movie breaks from its childishness and
becomes truly touching

If you have not seen “Stand by Me” the plot is basic in essence. In a fictional town of Castlerock Oregon, four young boys are primed to enter middle school, as this will mark their separation due to varying schooling levels, the boys make the most of their last summer together. When one hears that a dead body lies beyond the train tracks the group is instantly inspired to seek it out expecting local fame as their reward for finding it. The movie follows the two days that the boys journey along the tracks to find the body. This was done nicely as it reflected their young sense of scale.

A young Kiefer Sutherland struts his stuff

The story is told through as one big flashback from character Gordie Lachance (played by Richard Dreyfuss with the younger Gordie being played by Will Wheaton) who narrates his youth adventure. This style gives the situations context and really helps include the viewer connect to the story and characters.

             What really makes the movie succeed is the authenticity of the kids. Though it is a movie, the cast of Wheaton, Phoenix, O’Connell and Feldman are all truly believable in their roles. Though the movie may not relate as well to youth as it used to this movie is definitely worth a watch. “Stand by Me” proves itself to be a classic as well as a stepping stone for many young actors who future it helped shape.      

Old Dog

Eastwood sits on the porch pounding back beers

         Before Clint Eastwood was talking to empty chairs for the sake of the Republican Party, he was renowned for his accomplishments in cinema. For decades and decades Clint held the role of onscreen tough guy, playing the part of  many nameless cowboys in a long list of Spaghetti Westerns along with his well-recognised character Dirty Harry which inspired its own series. Yet as the years went on and Clint aged out of his traditional role, it seemed like he was being squeezed out of the silver screen scene. Despite this, Clint has retained his prominence, even re-establishing himself as an onscreen tough guy.

Ahney Her acts as a social catalyst
and introduces Walt to her family

In 2008 Eastwood returned to the industry with film Gran Torino. Set in a lower class Detroit neighbourhood heavy with gang violence, Eastwood plays the role of recently widowed Korean War vet and all around bigot who has a hard time dealing with age. Things are then suddenly changed when Eastwood protects a Hmong boy from gangsters and gains favor with the Hmong family. Soon Clint becomes closely entangled with the affairs of this family and comes to learn more about the family and shed some of his ignorance. However a pressing problem arises in the looming threat of gangsters. Less able than he once was and out gunned Clint must defend the neighbours that he has come to love.

Walt takes Thao (played by Bee Vang) under his
wing to teach him how to be American

Despite his age (which while filming was a staggering 78), Clint does a convincing job in his role of Walt. The traces of his former self are still apparent particularly as the character Walt closely mirrors Eastwood in essence. As for the rest of the cast they do their part but as they don’t share nearly as much screen time or dialogue they are often of little consequence.

What makes the story interesting is that while the movie dwells in this urban gangland setting there is little explicit violence. Unlike films of the past such as Dirty Harry and Death Wish violence isn’t used as a tool to resolve conflict. This marks an evolution in action films and depicts a different if not optimistic America.

If you have not seen Gran Torino it offers decent entertainment through Eastwood’s incessant bigotry and racial slurs as well as interesting character development. It is a good ride, just watch out for the end as Eastwood singing in the credits is enough to make you wish you were deaf.

 

The Confidence Man

DiCaprio plays the lead a boyish Frank Abagnale Jr.

Based on a true story, Catch Me If You Can is the Hollywood rendition of the events surrounding Frank Abagnale, notorious check forger. The film features an all-star cast which includes Leonardio DiCaprio, Tom Hanks, Amy Adams, Christopher Walken and Jennifer Garner along with many others.

Learning the tricks of the trade from his father, Frank has the basics of the confidence game down well he still in high school (even going as far as pretending to be a supply teacher much to the chagrin of his mother). Together he lives, him and his parents, enjoying the upper middle class lifestyle that is until the IRS catches onto his father. Soon much of their money is seized which leads to the divorce of his two parents. In the heat of the moment Frank takes off, unable to cope with his parents’ divorce, forced to fend for himself. To make ends meet, he does what he knows best and cons people out of their money. As time passes Frank’s con grow bigger and grander. Eventually he comes to pretending to be a pilot taking Pan Am for millions.

Tom Hanks (in the role of a bank fraud agent)
examines a check

All the while he must contend with Carl Hanratty, an FBI bank fraud agent (played by Tom Hanks) who is determined to arrest Frank. Most of the movie passes this way in a state of cat and mouse.

A lot can be said about this movie but all you need to know is that it’s worth a watch. The acting is superb with Dicaprio and Hanks at the Helm along with many now bigger names who were just starting out.

Amy Adams smiles broadly in the role of a nurse

Mechanically the movie works well as veteran director Spielberg knows what he is doing but the main point that really makes this movie excel is the simple storytelling. Through its development Catch Me If You Can really demonstrates the coming of age story well, proving that eventually you need to settle down.

If you have not seen it already I would highly recommend it. Catch Me If You Can proves itself to be a movie worthy of multiple re-watchings.               

Pleasant Past The Paradox

Lead man Joesph Gordon-Levitt

         In a year barren of sci-fi thrillers, Looper comes as a breath of fresh air. Originally opening the 2012 Toronto International Film Festival, Looper was well received by critics and audiences alike. Set in the year 2074 time travel has been invented then promptly outlawed. Spurred by organised crime, a group of assassins have emerged, they are known as loopers. These loopers travel back in time to complete hits, hiding the bodies in the past. Then once their contract is set to expire, the looper is sent back to kill themselves, this is called closing the loop.

        The story follows Joe (played by Joseph Gordon-Levitt) a looper who is sent to close his own loop, but when it comes down to the wire he is unable to kill himself. Fearing the fact that his employers will come back and kill him themselves (consequently killing the older version of himself), Levitt seeks the older version of himself (played by Bruce Willis) to finish the job. Meanwhile Willis has his own agenda and seeks out to change his own future by killing and up and coming mobster who will be known as The Rainmaker to stop the hit from ever being called.

Bruce Willis plays the role of Joe's older self

As the story progresses more and more characters get added to the mix which further convolutes the plot and eventually the motive of Levitt is changed as he instead seeks out to protect the son of his lover (played by Emily Blunt) who happens to be a young version of the Rainmaker.

The movie deals with the concept of time travel in an elegant way this is particularly impressive as the intricacies of time travel are often muddled on film. However I must complain that nearing the climax of the film the resolution is paradoxical as if anything is changed characters won’t have the motives that warranted their respective actions. It is unfortunate that this is the case as it draws you out of the movie.

Looper was smart as a film (if not paradox free, but time travel can be tricky like that) and aestically looked pretty nice. The development of the setting in the future was well produced with many little cultural phenomena that made it seem realistic. Furthermore, the acting was great with Levitt and Willis acting their parts well. One minor complaint would have to be the some of the cosmetic choices. If you don’t know I mean let me direct you to the picture of Levitt as well as the transition from Levitt to Willis which was clunky to say the least.

A clumsy makeup choice costs film

If you are looking for a good character-based time travel film Looper is a good choice. Despite its flaws Looper made a good show of what the sci-fi genre can pull off.

Escape From District 9

Sharlto Copely tries to get a Prawn to sign some forms

In 2009, the release of District 9 was met with little opposition, being praised by fans and critics alike. This was particularly impressive considering it was first feature-length film of director Neill Blomkamp who had a modest budget that had to be contended with. Yet still very little is said about District 9 despite its unlikely success.

                Set in modern day Johannesburg, the film is a blatant allegory of Apartheid present in the South Africa only decades before. When an alien ship crashes in the early 1980s, the local government of Johannesburg is quickly forced to take action. But creating homes for these new found visitors proves to be troublesome and the government chooses instead to create an impromptu ghetto with no intensions of improvement. Impoverished, sick and unwanted, the aliens are shunned by the human population referring to them in the derogatory term prawns (due to their appearance.)

A piece of the prawns futuristic technologies

One of the films Apartheid signs

 However, the brunt of the story follows clueless civil servant Wikus van de Merwe (played by Sharlto Copley), who through a twist of fate becomes infected a starts to become a prawn. Searching for a cure, Wikus comes to see the prawns in a more sympathetic light all the while learning the details of how the government attempts to exploit the extraterrestrials and their futuristic technologies.

The movie sets itself up in the form of a part mockumentry style, where those close to Wikus reveal valuable information and perspective to the story.  This makes the movie seem all the more realistic well revealing information in a seemingly unartifial way. Despite the fantastical circumstances of the film because of its setup it still seems plausible.        

District 9 is a good film with heavy themes. The seldom used style of mockumentry proves useful and refreshing, separating it from countless other action flicks. From this film Neill Blomkamp proves that sci-fi can be done in a refined way.             

 

A Comedy Classic

Left (Robert Hays) Center (Julia Hagerty) Right (Auto-pilot,
dubbed Otto)

For those who don’t already know, Airplane! was a satirical film releases in 1980 that parodied disaster movies. During its time the movie has proved to be very influential and many of the jokes are ingrained in popular culture still today. Unlike most comedies, Airplane! forwent an engaging story, instead using it as a framework from which they could pop off rapid fire jokes. Most of which are misinterpretations of colloquialisms, which though it may not seem funny are met with such dedication from the cast you can’t help but chuckle. Also the use of slapstick is frequent throughout which adds to the variety. Because of the quick pacing, if one joke doesn’t get to you another gag comes quickly enough so you’re not left waiting.  

To cheer up a sick girl a stewardess
plays guitar, accidently knocking off her iv bag

As is, the story consists of the threat of a plane crash after the pilot and half the crew are incapacitated by food poisoning and now ex war pilot, Ted Striker (played by Robert Hays) must overcome his war memories and land the plane. Of course what kind of film would it be without a love interest, this comes in the form of Julia Hagerty as a stewardess who had previously been with Ted but split due to his mild PTS.

Leslie Nielson plays the role of Dr. Barry Rumack

In itself the story isn’t that important what really matters is the writing which delivers. All the cast seems enthusiastic, but in particular Leslie Nielson stands out as Dr. Barry Rumack who is extremely funny.

If you haven’t already seen Airplane!  I would highly recommend it. It’s crazy. It’s random and the absurdity of the jokes are truly funny. Airplane! stands as one of if the funniest movies I have ever seen.